


希

by MustardaRain



Category: 19天 - Old先 | 19 Days - Old Xian
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M, spoilers up to latest chapter (165)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-07-15 12:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7222969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MustardaRain/pseuds/MustardaRain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zheng Xi met Tai Siu a year after Jian Yi disappeared, and they had an easy relationship going until Tai got pregnant. After Mei was born, Zheng and Tai lived happily together as co-parents without benefits, despite what anyone else might think.<br/>Things were going pretty well until Jian Yi showed up, a smirk on his face, shirt halfway unbuttoned and three years of silence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	希

**Author's Note:**

> I am constantly looking for fics/djs in this fandom, but for now its tiny size is very counterproductive to that. Actually, I have no idea how big the fandom is. But the 24 works make me think it's not very. So I decided to take it upon my hands to start adding numbers to this, after over five years since my last attempt at fanfiction with Hermione/Harry slash of the very very shitty sort back when I was twelve.  
> Hopefully this won't be very very shitty, but actually kinda nice! Yeah, let's hope.  
> I just want everyone to write for this fandom so I can have a 10k archive to browse for that perfect story. Pleease force anyone you know to write for 19 days.

    Mei had been Tai's choice. The name, the birth, their break up. Zheng went along passively right up to the moment he saw fine baby hair and rosy skin bundled up in a pink blanket. After that, she felt... his. She became Xi Mei for a second, then he remembered he was only nineteen and Tai wasn't going to marry him. Not even if he proposed, probably. She wanted a baby, but she didn't want him.

   Tai and Zheng had met in college and clicked immediately. She was quiet and didn't ask for much. They studied together, watched a movie, ate dinner, had sex. Quiet, easy. By the end of their second period, she was pregnant. Despite precautions. He felt stupid, but they were having the baby and that was it. Nine months later, Mei was breathing softly in Zheng's arms and he felt a a suspicious amount of water gathering behind his eyes. Two quick blinks for the feeling to go away, a third for him to calm down.

   He and Tai could do this, somehow.

   "Zheng" Tai called in her voice which always sounded tired even after three cups of coffee and a good night of sleep. "Let me hold her a bit?"

   He passed Mei over awkwardly, unsure of the correct way to do it, and sat down next to the hospital bed. She'd only been born four hours ago. She looked so tiny. Her hands were so tiny.

   "She feels like she's about to break" Tai joked, a tiny smile curling her lips.

   "Scares me, too" Zheng said, putting out there what he knew Tai had meant.

   They both simmered in silence for a few minutes, deep in thought, until Zheng pulled in a breath and looked away. "I know you said you don't want to get married, but we should do this together."

   Tai thought for a little while, humming to herself. Finally, when Zheng thought he wasn't going to get an answer out of her, "I'd like that. I don't think I can do this alone, anyway... and I'm sure you'd... you'll make a great dad." Tai said, looking away too.

   "I'll try" Zheng said, unsure.

   "Yeah."

 _Xi Mei_... felt nice, whispered low in his head where no one could hear it besides himself. 

* * *

 

   Zheng and Tai lived together for a year, as no more than friends who co-parented. Zheng moving out of his tiny apartment saved money and he wanted to be near, so he could help as he'd said he would.

   At first, it was weird. He liked - almost loved - Tai, he was even attracted to her. She was a pretty girl, with brown messy curls that stood up like crazy after a night of rolling around in her sleep. She was chubby all over and when it was cold, lying in bed with her and Mei while watching anime was pretty great. Yet... the more he spent time with her, the more she felt like family. Like a sister. She asked him how his day went, patted his hair, made funny commentary while watching tv with that sometimes wrenched a surprised laugh out of him.

   They didn't have sex after Mei. Neither of them seemed to want to. People at university acted like they were married, but Zheng felt very far from the concept. When Tai tentatively told him a guy had been flirting with her, he knew she was trying to gauge his reactions. He pushed her shoulder gently and told her to stop being an idiot. Her bright relieved laugh in response to that was extremely soothing.

   After that short exchange, it didn't take her two months to introduce the flirter to him. The guy watched him suspiciously, which bothered Zheng, but in the end that was to be expected. He would've been wary as an outsider watching their arrangement, too. He did his best to make it clear he and Tai were no more than friends with a baby, but he wasn't sure he succeeded. Either way, the flirter didn't come back anymore and another month later Tai told him it hand't worked out.

   When Mei was about 1.5 years old, Zheng told Mei it was time they found new living arrangements, that it would be harder for Mei if it happened later. He could live close by. She quickly agreed, so Zheng found an apartment a few blocks away which were barely a ten minute walk away from Tai's. They exchanged her every couple days. It was surprisingly easy. They rarely had an argument, and those were always level, no voices raised. Compromised with ease. They also stayed together, the three of them, about once a week to watch animes. Mostly shoujo, damn Tai, but sometimes she'd cave in and they'd watch some adventure or play games on the ps3.

   Zheng's life had become cozy with routine, so when something different happened, it was a shock that made him hang with his mouth open for a good minute. And then, as if nothing had happened, Jian Yi leaned in with a hand on the door frame, half his shirt buttons undone. 

    _After over three years._


End file.
